Teryxian
Teryxians are a small-bodied reptilian people, the smallest of the Folk. They worship the blue light of Logic above all else. Teryxians stand no more than knee high to a Haarkeen man, and have a pair of fully functioning wings and a long, feathered tail. The toes of their partially feathered lower legs end in rather nimble little claws, with a second claw that is hyperextensible and can deliver a grievous wound. While many Folk seem to think these “hands” might be clumsy, Teryxians can in fact use them to manipulate and carry items, though perhaps not as dexterously as some others might. Although capable of walking about on two legs, albeit awkwardly, they feel most at home in the sky. GENDER & REPRODUCTION Teryxians have internalized sexual organs. The males, called drakes, and females, called queens, are sexually dimorphic in their feather color. Drakes are typically brilliant royal blue or rich aquamarine, while queens are more often a duller blue-black or deep indigo, and slightly smaller in size. Additionally, drakes have an impressive feather crest at the back of their heads which can be raised or fluffed up to express anger or excitement. HABITAT Unique across the Seven, Teryxians are egg-layers. Nests are constructed from mud pellets and lined with grass, leaves, or feathers. They are usually built onto the underside of strong tree limbs or rock ledges, and sometimes incorporate many of the strong vines or other natural materials that are ubiquitous in Quill’s jungles. The nests typically consist of two or three chambers — just enough space for food storage, egg incubation, and rest. The nests are quite utilitarian and their energies are instead devoted to learning. The library spires of Quill are where the full grandeur of Teryxian society comes to bloom. Or did once bloom, at any rate. Teryxians who are lucky enough to be members of a lodge live in communities which consist of many nests built in close proximity to one another, all occupied by lodge members and their families. These nests are often built upon the ruins of an old spire, or any natural feature that offers some modicum of protection from the dangers of the forest. The Grymalkyn are a constant danger, but there are many other denizens of the jungle that would also see an unguarded Teryxian as a tasty treat. The rest of the populace, especially those not associated with a vocational lodge of any sort,will often live in isolated nests high up in the canopy or hidden deep within a cave. CULTURE Teryxians are the only Folk across the Seven who possess the power of flight, and it is perhaps for that reason they are the least averse to traveling to the other shards. At certain times during the cycle, it is possible for a Teryxian to fly unaided from Quill to Zenith or Banyan, and from the latter perhaps even to Haark. Indeed, their renown as tutors has largely arisen from their desire to see the world and share our knowledge of it with other cultures. The learning of Teryxians long ago surpassed the knowledge of even the most curious of other Folk. They have even turned the inscrutable movements of the shards and the patterns of the cycle into an erudite discipline that others have come to call ostrakonomy, and the many pupils of the Timekeeper’s Lodge devote their entire lives to it. To a Teryxian, the natural world is something to be studied, logged, codified, and manipulated. They believe that, by mapping and defining every detail and nuance of the world, they can better understand their place in it. Logic dictates that every being has its part to play in the balance of the world, even if they don’t yet personally understand what that part is. Maintaining that balance can sometimes come at steep personal cost. Compassion toward another can often be seen as weakness, a selfish act that ultimately undermines the entire cosmic ecology. This frequently leads to the opinion that Teryxians are a cold, aloof people, looking down upon others from their lofty heights, and yet there are countless students from all the Folk who have developed lifelong bonds of friendship and love with their tutors from Quill. However they are viewed, there are times when Teryxian ideals inform certain cultural behaviors that are seen as downright barbaric by other Folk. When a Teryxian mother lays two eggs instead of the far more common single egg, it is expected that one of the hatchlings will eat the other to become the sole occupant of the nest. If both hatchlings survive long enough to reach fledgling age, it is regarded as a bad omen by the parents. Even given a loving, nurturing environment to grow up in, the siblings will usually be ostracized to some degree by the community at large, and will live out most of their lives labeled as weak, soft-hearted, or “green.” (Green is used as a derogatory term due to the War of Leaves and an ongoing disdain for Banyari.) RELIGION The skies hold a pivotal position in the spiritual lives of Teryxians as well. Our holy codices tell of the creator deity, Tzahintli, the greatest of the Cloud Serpents. A hungry god — it is said that, if not kept sated, he will devour the entire world in his vast jaws. To a Teryxian, Tzahintli is not malicious, simply hungry: a force of nature, no more evil than a predator killing prey for their young. But every three cycles, members of the Teryxian citizenry are sacrificed upon the well- worn stones of the temple chamber upon Mount Quiya, near the Last Spire. Young warriors, valued for their strength and the promise of years, and wizened scribes, full to bursting with the knowledge of a lifetime. The blood of these and hundreds like them spatters the rocks, as it has for cycles innumerable. Their ruined flesh and feathers are left behind for Cloud Serpents, the envoys of Tzahintli, to swallow and deliver to their god. These sacrifices may only be performed under direct light from above; to conduct these rituals while under the shadow would have dire consequences indeed. These rituals have been part of our culture since before the Fall, yet they are beginning to lose favor with some elements upon Quill. But change is slow, and devotion to Tzahintli has long been the foundation of the Teryxian belief system. Many heated arguments fill the chambers of the Scholar-Priests of late.